prominent
Americanadjective
-
standing out so as to be seen easily; particularly noticeable; conspicuous.
Her eyes are her most prominent feature.
- Antonyms:
- inconspicuous, unobtrusive
-
standing out beyond the adjacent surface or line; projecting.
- Synonyms:
- protuberant, obvious
-
leading, important, or well-known.
a prominent citizen.
- Synonyms:
- distinguished, renowned, famed, famous, celebrated, eminent
adjective
-
jutting or projecting outwards
-
standing out from its surroundings; noticeable
-
widely known; eminent
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of prominent
First recorded in 1535–45; from Latin prōminent- (stem of prōminēns ), present participle of prominēre “to project, stand out,” equivalent to pro- pro- 1 + -minēre; see imminent
Explanation
If you're looking for an adjective that means "sticking out above the rest; famous," consider prominent. A prominent person might be the big star, the head honcho, the top dog — not just any ordinary person. A prominence is anything that juts out, like a bone or a mountain ridge. Prominent, then, means "sticking out" either in a literal sense ("a prominent nose") or a figurative one ("a prominent figure in the industry"). The metaphorical sense of "famous" is the most common one today, so you're more likely to hear about prominent people than prominent noses.
Vocabulary lists containing prominent
List 1
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Power Prefix: pro
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The 57-year-old tycoon is the most prominent defendant in a trial starting Tuesday in Antananarivo over five Boeing 777s routed to Iran via temporary Malagasy registrations to circumvent multiple US sanctions.
From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026
The most prominent example of this is Maven Smart Systems, the Pentagon's main software platform for organising intelligence and data.
From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026
Nostalgia for the ’70s and ’80s is prominent throughout “No Bad Memories,” but the album connects more strongly to the musical present than anything the Avalanches have done before.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026
Evans grew up in a wealthy, prominent San Diego family.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026
In April of 1865, the most prominent of these Spiritualist papers, Banner of Light, announced the breaking news to its readers: “The End of the Rebellion!”
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
